Influence of Cement Composition on Expansions Observed in Standard and Modified ASTM C1260 Test Procedures

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a laboratory study conducted to determine the influence of cement composition on the expansions observed in standard and modified ASTM C1260 tests. Also, the effectiveness of selected mitigation measures for alkali—silica reactivity was studied by using a modified ASTM C1260 test. Two different cements with substantially different alkali levels were used in combination with a Class F fly ash and a Class C fly ash. The results obtained from tests with 89 different sources of fine aggregate were analyzed. The results from this study indicate that cement composition has a distinct influence on the expansion levels observed in the ASTM C1260 study. For a majority of the aggregates tested in this study (88%), the use of a specific cement low in alkali content resulted in higher expansion than a cement with a relatively higher alkali content, regardless of the level of reactivity of the aggregate in the standard ASTM C1260 tests. Class F fly ash was found to be more effective than Class C fly ash in reducing the expansions in the modified ASTM C1260 tests. However, the cement used in the mixture influenced the percent reduction in expansion offered by both Class F fly ash and Class C fly ash. The use of low-alkali cement with Class F and Class C fly ashes yielded larger reductions in percent expansion.

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